f40 NATURALISTS CABINET 



Food Rankness Varieties. 



suddenly contrasted from black to white ; and it 

 has been also named oyster-catcher, from the fa- 

 cility with which it takes that fish: for this pur- 

 pose, whenever it comes near a parcel of them, it 

 patiently watches round until one opens its shells, 

 which is instantly perceived by the bird, who with 

 amazing quickness thrusts in its beak, and almost 

 instantaneously separates the oyster therefrom ; 

 besides oysters it feeds upon limpets, and almost 

 all kinds of shell fish ; but notwithstanding they 

 make these the principal part of their food,its flesh is 

 rank, and very ill-flavoured. 



THE PHALAROPE. 



THERE are three varieties. The common one 

 perfectly resembles the sand-piper, except the 

 scolloped membranes on the toes; they are small 

 birds, scarcely ever weighing above an ounce. 

 The grey phalarope has the upper parts of the 

 plumage ash-coloured, varied a little with brown 

 and white, and the breast and belly white. The 

 red phalarope only differs from the former, in 

 having the upper parts of the plumage of a deep 

 lead colour, striped with a dusky yellow, and the 

 under parts of a dusky red. They are not very 

 common birds but are sometimes found in the 

 marshy parts of the country. 



